What is the best Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword build? This staple Monster Hunter weapon returns in Wilds, and we couldn't be happier for it. The Great Sword is ideal for players who prefer to charge into battle and inflict massive damage with slow and deliberate slashes. It boasts the highest damage per hit out of any weapon, making it a worthwhile pick regardless of skill level.
The Great Sword is the best weapon to get to grips with the slower and heavier cadence of combat in MH Wilds weapons in the series.
Best Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword build
The best build for the Great Sword is:
- Primary Weapon: Rooster Decapitator (Great Sword)
- Secondary Weapon: Balahara Horn (Hunting Horn)
- Armor: Artian Helm A (Head), Doshaguma Mail B (Chest), Doshaguma Braces B (Arms), Doshaguma Coil B (Waist), Doshaguma Greaves B (Legs)
- Decorations: Handicraft Jewel, Razor Sharp Jewel, Focus Jewel, Critical Jewel, Destroyer Jewel, Blaze Jewel, Defense Jewel, Steadfast Jewel
- Talisman: Blessing Charm
- Mantle: Rocksteady Mantle
- Equipment Skills: Charge Master (Lv. 2), Focus (Lv. 2), Slugger (Lv. 2), Flayer (Lv. 1), Earplugs (Lv. 1), Latent Power (Lv. 2), Stun Resistance (Lv. 1), Stamina Surge (Lv. 1), Recovery Up (Lv. 1), Free Meal (Lv. 1)
The best Great Sword build bolsters its charge speed and crit damage to ensure you hit harder and faster with the most powerful attacks in its moveset. We've chosen the Rooster Decapitator, which boasts high raw and elemental damage. However, Focus and Charge Master steal the show. Together, these two weapon skills speed up the Great Sword's charge times and boost the elemental power those charged attacks inflict.
The Great Sword's main drawback is how slow it is and this is where the MH Wilds Hunting Horn buffs can come in handy. The Balahara Horn's Echo Bubble increases movement speed and evasion within its area of effect, and you can certainly feel the benefit of the Great Sword. The Balahara Horn deals blunt damage, and its Slugger skill ensures you reliably stun and KO monsters with well-timed melodies.
A four-piece set of Doshaguma B unlocks the Doshaguma's Might set bonus and the Powerhouse II skill, which grants an attack buff after a Power Clash or offset attack, letting you continue to bring the pain while on the defensive. These armor pieces include supplementary skills like Latent Power, Recovery Up, and Stamina Surge. Round off this bespoke armor set with Artian Helm A for its Flayer and Earplugs skills.
Skills aside, the sheer number of decoration slots is the greatest boon in our best Great Sword build. The Rooster Decapitator doesn't have the highest sharpness, but the Handicraft Jewel can bump it from blue to white – you can even pair it with Razor Sharp Jewel to cut down on sharpness loss, though it's not essential. Instead, the Focus Jewel is a must-have to round off this build, with Critical Jewel and Destroyer Jewel to increase damage dealt to critical hits and break off parts even more easily.
If you're partial to the elemental effects of the Rooster Decapitator, feel free to socket the Blaze Jewel – though we recommend swapping it out for an additional Critical Jewel the above when going up against fire-resistant monsters. Regarding armor-specific decorations, Defense Jewel and Steadfast Jewel are excellent options to reinforce your defense stat and ward off invasive stun effects.
The Great Sword's guard properties can shrug off incoming attacks, but taking a hit while charging is inevitable. The Blessing Charm talisman mitigates against this health loss, soaking up damage with its Divine Protection skill. We've paired it with the Rocksteady Mantle for the same reason. Make no mistake, you won't feel squishy with this Great Sword build.
How to use the Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword
The Great Sword's core ability is the True Charged Slash, and the combo to reach it is fairly straightforward. Beginning with an Overhead Slash, use Charge to chain through to a Strong Charged Slash and then a true charged slash. Cut down on the charge duration by performing a Perfect Tackle. Once a monster has been wounded or its weak point has been revealed, incorporate the Perforate finisher into this rotation.
This fairly lengthy combo sequence should be familiar to experienced Great Sword s. Charging your attacks is more integral in Wilds, but whereas earlier entries in the series would often see Great Sword s whiffing their strongest attacks against agile monsters, the Monster Hunter Wilds Focus Mode has brought unprecedented accuracy, letting you rotate in place to track monsters as they move. So, while it'll take longer to execute the Great Sword's core combo in Wilds than in Worlds, you have a much greater capacity to land a True Charged Slash.
The Great Sword also has defensive properties that can keep you alive in encounters with hyper-aggressive monsters. A straightforward guard lets you soak up damage and prevent knockdown, but aim to land a perfect guard to transition into a power clash and inflict stagger. You can also transition from a defensive to an offensive posture with an offset rising slash, letting you counter monsters to knock them off-balance. This gives you time to swig a health potion, whip out your whetstone, or commit to a cross slash to push your offensive.
All in all, the Great Sword is an exercise in patience. It's easy to overcommit to a full combo and lock yourself into an animation that leaves you vulnerable. Don't be afraid to reset your core combo, and take advantage of its ability to counter and clash to interrupt a monster's assault.
Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword moveset
Here are all the moves and combos for the Great Sword:
- Overhead Slash: Standard overhead attack.
- Charge: A slash attack that can be charged to deal more damage.
- Strong Charged Slash: A basic Charge combo attack. Hit Charge after performing a Charged Slash.
- True Charged Slash: An advanced Charge combo attack. Hit Charge after performing a Strong Charged Slash.
- Tackle: An offensive attack that can be performed while charging. Time your tackle just before a monster's attack to execute a perfect tackle and preserve your charge level.
- Wide Slash: Standard horizontal attack.
- Leaping Wide Slash: An advanced Wide Slash combo attack. Hit Wide Slash after performing a Tackle.
- Strong Wide Slash: An advanced Wide Slash combo attack. Hit Wide Slash after a Strong Charged Slash.
- Rising Slash: Standard mid-range attack.
- Offset Rising Slash: A charged rising slash that doubles as an offset attack. Execute a follow-up cross slash by timing your offset rising slash to coincide with a monster's attack.
- Guard: Standard defensive shield.
- Kick: Defensive attack performed while guarding.
- Focus Slash – Perforate: A powerful sweeping attack effective against wounds or weak points with an optional finisher.
With the best Great Sword build in your loadout, hunting all the open-world game compares to its predecessors.